1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a one-piece, integrally formed, generally rectangular, plastic box particularly suited for packaging medicines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many medicines such as aspirin have conventionally been packaged in generally rectangular, two-piece, metal containers having a top rectangular section which is hingedly connected to a rectangular bottom section. Earlier boxes utilized a conventional pinned hinge arrangement at the rear thereof to join the two components together. More recent two-piece boxes are connected by means of matching projections and recesses provided on each sidewall of the box slightly forward of the rear thereof (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,906,428). These boxes are opened by applying pressure to the rear of the box.
Recent FDA regulations will require that aspirin tablets and a number of items be packaged in special containers which have "childproof" features. The containers must not be openable by children under a certain age in a certain number of attempts to open the containers. Satisfactory closures have been developed for bottle-type containers for aspirin and prescription drugs and other items which may be potentially dangerous to children. However, difficulty has been encountered in producing a satisfactory rectangular, two-piece, hinged, conventional container for packaging tablets. The problem has primarily been one of the developing a container which has a consistent opening pressure, such that only pressure applied by an adult can open the container. Erratic opening pressures utilizing the conventional engaging means for the closure, i.e. the projection on the front of the lower portion of the container which is engaged in a recess in the front wall of the upper portion of the container, together with the difficulty in producing the recesses and protrusions which form the hinge mechanism of the container, have prevented the conventional metal tablet box from qualifying as a childproof container.
The present invention overcomes numerous disadvantages of previously used containers in that it can be readily prepared by utilization of flexible plastic materials and has reproducible opening and closing characteristics rendering it eminently suitable for use in packaging medicines.